It has been a summer of change for Rangers.
New property. New management. New players. But what will it all look like on the field?
For the fourth consecutive season last year, Rangers lacked the Scottish Premiership when Celtic sealed the title. And it was again a trophy -free campaign for the Gers, with only one piece of silverware (2023/24 Scottish League Cup) secured in the past three years.
Head coach Russell Martin arrives not only to repair the team on the field, but to change the culture and atmosphere around Ibrox after Philippe Clement was shown the exit door and Barry Ferguson closed the responsible season.
The first task for Martin is a second qualifying round match of Champions League against Panathinaikos at home. Rangers have had every success in the Europa League in recent seasons and we consider how they could stand in line for their first competitive competition of the year …
What did the team look like last year?
A typical Rangers XI last season may have looked like this:
The Ministry of Defense was a big problem, in which the team only held one clean slate in their last 13 league matches. Part of it was due to rotation – Ridvan Yilmaz, Dujon Sterling and Leon Balogun also came in and out of the side – but Rangers had to upgrade.
Robin Propper is on the road – as personal conditions can be agreed – after Rangers has accepted an offer from FC Twente. John Souttar has attracted interest from Trabzonspor and with a number of new centerbacks through the door he may not be a starter.
In midfield, Nico Raskin and Mohamed Diomande are two of Rangers' rising stars, and Connor Barron remains a reliable team option. Nedim Bajrami also played a lot, and Ianis Hagi was considerably involved, but both were confronted with a lot of control from the fans. Hagi has left the club, but Bajrami has the chance to exchange itself.
Outside on-Loan Vaclav Cerny (18 goals in 52 performances), Hamza Igamane (16 in 46) and Cyriel Dessers (29 in 55), there was simply not enough firepower in advance. Tom Lawrence (6 in 28), Danilo (6 in 27) and Ross McCausland (3 in 25) have had no impact.
Which players keep their places last season?
Although Martin will implement a new style and make changes in the course of this season and then will make, he has no choice but to retain some continuity.
He held up on James Tavernier as the captain figure and pillar in the dressing room. Whether or not Tavernier plays 50 games per season as he can still be seen in the past decade, but he will be in the foreground early. With no new keepers through the door, Jack Butland will probably be among the sticks, even though he is dropped for Liam Kelly last season.
Jefte, a dribble left back that likes to move forward, can thrive in Martin's system, and as mentioned above, Raskin and Diomande will not be fallen.
Igamane, if healthy and available, is the best striker at the club, and despite the fact that Lille shows strong interest, he has since returned to training with the first team. Dessers are also linked to an exit, but will Martin give him a chance?
Some of the more interesting names that stand out in the preseason are former £ 6.5 million striker Danilo (last year in and from the side), Kieran Dowell (returning from loan), Oscar Cortes (often injured) and Findlay Curtis (youth player). Danilo in particular seems to have jumped to the top of the striking pecking order.
Which of the new signs are ready to go?
Rangers' Summer Transfer Tally is a maximum of seven after the confirmation of Djidi Gassama last week. Thelo Aasgard, Joe Rothwell, Emmanuel Fernandez and Lyall Cameron have permanently signed, while Nasser Djiga and Max Aarons have joined.
What do Aarons fit in? In the friendly draw against Club Brugge he started right back. He started on the left against Barnsley. He probably seems to be in the XI.
Djiga, Rothwell and Aasgard would be the most likely candidates who go directly to the starting line-up, while Fernandez would be taken more slowly and Cameron missed the start of the preseason who struggled with a calf injury.
Unfortunately, Aasgard has sustained an injury in a game behind closed-thousands and is a “touch and go” for Tuesday according to Martin, so that the door remains open to someone else to make their business ahead.
The game comes too soon before the first start of Gassama, but he will probably be more involved in the second stage.
The starting XI vs Panathinaikos
Putting together everything, this is what the starting side could look like:
There is a strong case for starting the natural left Jefte, but Aarons gets the nod. Djiga offers more experience than Fernandez.
Dowell has protected a place based on a lack of available Wingers, but maybe Bajrami sneaks in? Or is the formation adjusted to fit in two strikers? Danilo has earned a starting place during his preseason, but it may be difficult to leave a fit Igamane away.
However, how he comes up, the pressure is on Martin to deliver a result at Ibrox.
Rangers -Mratures: Motherwell Opener Live on Sky Sports
Rangers starts their 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season in Motherwell on Saturday 2 August, live on Sky Sports.
Martin's first Scottish Premiership match in Ibrox will take place on Saturday, August 9, against Steven Presley's Dundee.
The first old sturdy collision of the season takes place on Sunday 31 August on Sky Sports while Celtic Travel to Ibrox, a fixture that could be the key, because Martin's side would close the gap on their city rivals this season.
The parties will meet again in Celtic Park on Wednesday 3 January – Live on Sky Sports – with their last pre -split meeting at Ibrox on 28 February.
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From next season, the Premier League coverage of Sky Sports will increase from 128 games to at least 215 games that are exclusively live.
And 80 percent of all Premier League matches broadcast on television will be on Sky Sports next season